--pour the cooked hot chocolate over a shot of espresso or a half-cup of very strong coffee

for an "adult drink":

--omit the peppermint extract and pour the hot chocolate over a shot of Peppermint Schnapps

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot.

Combine the dry ingredients into your crockpot and stir with a spoon. Squeeze in a half-cup of chocolate sauce, and add the peppermint extract. Add the water, a cup at a time, and stir well. The chocolatey mixture will be bubbly and look powdery. It's okay---it will cook together.

Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until completely hot. Serve with marshmallows and candy canes. If serving to guests, keep the pot on low with the lid off, and provide a ladle. If kept on warm, the hot chocolate will not stay warm enough.

The Verdict.

Very tasty. I tried it plain, and with a half cup of strong coffee. I did not try the Peppermint Schnapps version, but assume it would taste good. It was 10am.

The kids thought that the 2 tsp of peppermint extract was too strong, but that 1tsp was perfect. I recommend starting with 1 tsp, and add 1/4 tsp at a time to taste.

Ironically, I just posted on my blog about Peppermint Mocha Coffee... added to it today by topping it with whipped cream and crushed peppermint. It's really the cookies that I enjoyed with my drink that made it all come together, though. Naughty, naughty!

Stephanie, In the words of David Cassidy: "I think I love you" BTW, one of my favorite winter decadencies (is that a word) is hot chocolate with Buttershots. Because butterscotch & hot chocolate IS liquid porn. Thank you for my new Xmas Eve tradition!

Love love love your blog. I have lists of things to cook from here and never seem to get to them all--I need more crockpots!

Just to clarify, when you say to leave it with the lid off and a ladle "on warm" and then say "if kept on warm it will not stay warm enough"...I'm assuming you meant to leave it on high? or will that make it unreasonably hot for guests? Don't want to get sued for serving to hot of a beverage and scalding someone. :)

Hi Julie, some of the newer crockpots have high, low, and warm settings. The warm setting won't keep this hot enough with the lid off, but the low setting will. If your crockpot only has high and low, use the low.

Hi Meal Planner,I think using regular milk would work just fine---the recipe I was playing off of was to make hot chocolate at home---and I was intrigued by the cost of a box of nonfat dried milk. I'm sure you can substitute 7 cups of milk and omit the water.

Subbed Splenda and Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup and made 1/3 of the recipe in the 2qt crockpot. Drank it all myself. Delicious. Would be great at a holiday party with the extract left out and a adult flavoring bar along side: peppermint schnapps, buttershots, amaretto, coffee liquor, raspberry...

Oh I am all over this one. I wanted a nice drink for when people come over this holiday season. The nice thing with the crockpot is you don't have to sit and stare at it while your company is there. The crockpot does it for you. Thanks

Hello, I was referred over by Tara@Feels Like Home. She included my Twice baked Potato recipe in her things to write home about, and was looking through the other links she included. So happy she added your link. I love CrockPot recipes! This is awesome! Can't wait to give it a try. ;)

I made this last night for my housemates, as we decorated our Christmas tree, and it was a huge hit! The whole house smelled like peppermint, and there was enough for all seven of us to have a mug, plus some left over for my drive to campus this morning. Great recipe!

Help- mine was awful. I have a Rival that has high, low, warm setting with a timer (it's very new- last year) It was separated and a BIG mess. I followed your directions to a T so I'm wondering if it's the crockpot. Honestly I feel like my crockpot is always too hot. Any ideas what happened?